Flesh-wounds: What do I do with the pain?

By: Carole l. Haines

It happened again, and I find myself asking those same-old questions?  “Did they mean to do that, leave me out? Was that a deliberate slight, or just a misunderstanding? Should I risk asking, it just might lead to more rejection?” I don’t know if I really want to know the answer.
Rejection pierces my heart, yet again.  Confusion mixed with offense rises up within me.   I run to God and keep asking Him: “God, what do I do with the pain?  How do I proceed from here? Father, how do I get over this?”  Then I sensed His gentle reply, “Give it to me, and receive what I have for you.”
As I write this, I am 15 minutes into a perceived rejection from some people who have hurt me before. My heart is racing, my eyes ache with tears welling up, but not spilling out. So, I begin to focus on what God says about me, instead.

I will never leave you, nor forsake you.
I have written you on the palm of my hands.
I have enclosed you behind and before and laid my hand upon you
This has happened to me before. In one extreme case of being “thrown away,” by another person, I just cried out to God, and asked the same questions I am asking now. “What do I do with this rejection, what do I do with this pain?”  God’s answer was so moving, so clear and poignant. It echoes in my heart right now. Here is what God said to me:
“These are only flesh wounds, Dear Child, and the flesh is passing away. No one can ever touch you for who you really are in Me. Let these wounds pass away as flesh, and walk in My Spirit. Rest in My unending love. I will never leave you, forsake you, or reject you. Dear Child, I know how you feel, for My people rejected me.”
I began to think on the fact that the people of God in the Old Testament, kept forsaking God, and running after vain and empty things. How the heart of God must ache sometimes.  God has expressed His own pain and disappointments from being rejected: ⁵ Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
(Genesis 6:5-6 NASB) ²
“I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,
³ A people who continually provoke Me to My face. (Isaiah 65: 2-3a NASB)
He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
³ He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isaiah 53 NASB)

I felt the arms of God around me, as I read these Scriptures. He understands, He knows what is feels like.  He cares, He heals, He comforts me.  I love God’s vulnerability, His accessibility, His open transparency.  Somehow, It doesn’t matter anymore, whether the rejection I suffered is real or not.  I am so blessed by God’s all-encompassing love; I will just rest here in His arms and trust Him to work this out.  Ahhh, the sweet, sweet Love of Jesus. If you are suffering from a rejection right now, whether real or just perceived, spend some time focusing on who God says you are in His Word.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.  (1 John 4:18 NASB)
What do I do with the pain? Yield it to God and bask the fresh, cleansing and healing truth of His unending love for you.